How to tell real jewelry from fake
Precious accessories have long become an integral and basic part of the stylish everyday outfit of every man and woman. Often, we buy decoration simply because it looks very pretty, and we don't question its quality or authenticity - it's just a momentary impulse. But later we notice that the beloved ring suddenly faded or began to peel off, and the stone fell out of the adored pair of earrings and was lost. To avoid such unpleasant surprises, you need to understand how to tell if jewelry is real in advance. To do this, the FJewellery experts has compiled a detailed and useful guide that will warn you against unnecessary purchases and waste of money. And so, let's discuss the main points.
How to choose a jewel and not make a mistake
A bright original design, a recognizable brand style and an overpriced often don't guarantee that you really have a real gold ring or a natural ruby necklace. You always need to be on the lookout and double-check everything. We've put together a selection of proven, reliable and easy ways to identify fake precious accessories, and here's what we recommend:
- Always check the stamp. This is the first thing to study on the decoration. Real silver will always be 925 or STG - this means that the product is really made of sterling silver and the metal is genuine. Gold accessories will have carat stamps that indicate its purity. The most common is 14 carats, which is equivalent to 585 sample. But gold, unlike silver, has different types of alloy, each of which is acceptable. These are markings of 9, 18 and 24 carats, which corresponds to 375, 750 and 999 samples, respectively. Jewels made of platinum also has its own marking - these are either the letters PLT or 950. It also happens that on very old and vintage accessories there may not be such a mark, but there you can find a personal imprint of the jeweler who created it or other distinctive features.
- Determining the authenticity of gemstones on your own is quite difficult - a specialist gemologist can handle this better. But there are several ways to check gems before buying. The first thing to ask the seller is the stone's certificates of authenticity and gemological examination reports. The second is the price of precious stones - all natural crystals are of great value, as they are mined from the bowels of the earth, and the process is complex and expensive. And thirdly, a real crystal will always have some inclusions or other tiny defects inside, unlike ideal synthetic ones created in laboratories. If you see a fairly large and simply flawless sapphire or emerald - most likely it's not real.
- If we are talking about natural diamonds, then these beautiful stones always pass the 4Cs quality assessment according to the main parameters, which must be indicated both in the crystal certificate and on the product label. Fashion jewelery designers don't usually risk their reputation by using fake gems, but if you're buying an accessory from an unknown brand, always check all the details beforehand.
- Many experts also recommend doing a magnet test. Its essence is to check the authenticity of the metal. As you know, natural silver and gold will not react to a magnet, unlike their cheaper substitutes. By the way, this is a great way to test and distinguish pure alloy from plain gold filled jewelry. Inside such products, as a rule, there are cheaper metals that will immediately react to a magnet.
- Make purchases only in trusted stores and online boutiques, where you can be provided with all the necessary documents for each product presented in the catalogue. It's better to spend a little time and study customer reviews and ratings about a particular seller in advance than to make a mistake in choosing and buy a bright and stylish, but fake jewel.
If quality is important to you, and you don't agree to compromise - we are waiting for you! The collection of our store includes luxurious womens jewellery, original and unusual accessories for him and cute precious trinkets for child. A huge and varied range of only the best products, including:
- halo rings,
- drop earrings,
- id bangles,
- mariner bracelets,
- oval lockets,
-
cluster pendants
and many, many other bright jewels.
On the FJewellery website, you can study each product in detail: descriptions, specifications, pictures, reviews and, of course, certificates of authenticity and insurance assessment. We value our level of service and each of our clients. Join now and enjoy shopping with us!